A typical archery target includes, among other things, a face (such as the well-known colored concentric rings of international competition, made of paper or waterproof film), a backstop for decelerating and holding the shot arrows, and (optionally) a stand for elevating the face and backstop above ground level. Target backstops, referred to generally and throughout this document as “targets,” may be made from many kinds of materials. Simple straw, hay, or excelsior bales are long known as sufficient for stopping the slower, heavier wooden arrows of old. Today's aluminum, carbon, and composite arrows, coupled with powerful, high-speed cross- and compound bows result in arrows with sufficient kinetic energy to pass completely through old-fashioned targets.
Various target configurations have been used to stop arrows, using either friction or compression schemes to absorb the energy of the arrow. One type of target is a compressed foam sheet target, such as the Block® Wall System target manufactured by Field Logic Inc. of Superior, Wis. This type of target stops arrows with friction from the compression force on the foam sheets. This target can be used with arrows having either field or target points (referred to herein generally as “target points”) or bladed hunting points such as, without limitation, fixed or expandable (mechanical) broadheads (referred to collectively herein as “broadheads”), as those terms are known in the art.
Compressed foam sheets, or open layer targets, stop arrows by friction between the sheets. This causes heat, and with high-speed arrows, the foam (typically polyethylene) will melt to the arrow shaft. This results in difficult arrow removal and damage to the arrows. When shot with broadheads, the target life is greatly reduced, as the individual sheets of foam sliver and fall out of the target. And, regardless of the compression method used, broadheads will soon destroy the main body of the target.
Another type of target is constructed from solid foam, layered either in sections or in a molded shape. One example is The Cube, manufactured by American Whitetail, Inc. of Ferdinand, Ind. This target can be made of various polymeric foams, such as (without limitation) polyurethane and polyethylene, and is suitable for either broadheads or target points.
Solid foam targets, whether molded or layered in sections, stop arrows by friction. This foam will also melt to the arrow shaft, making arrow removal difficult. Broadheads work better with solid targets, however the main body will still be destroyed with repeated shots.
Another type of target is a compression bag target designed for target points, with packed material in a bag, either woven or non-woven. One typical example is the Morrell Bone Collector Outdoor Range manufactured by Morrell Manufacturing, Inc. of Alma, Ark. This type of target is suitable for target points only, as broadheads cannot easily be removed and tend to shred the target.
Compression bag targets feature a packed material in a bag, usually a woven polypropylene. These targets develop voids over time when shot repeatedly in the same area with target points, which may result in a shorter target life. Being a bag, the target usually needs a stand to support it. Arrows shot into a bag target usually cannot be scored accurately because the compression method of the target does not allow the arrow shaft to be held where it impacted, and it will sag or shift, resulting in difficulty scoring the hit location. The energy of fast arrows also requires extremely heavy and bulky bag targets to stop them.
Other targets made of solid, layered, or laminated man-made materials are also well known. Carpet strips, plastic sheet material, DuPont Tyvek®, and rag bundles are some of the other materials used.
One well-known disadvantage of current targets is commonly seen in youth shooting instruction and competition, where young archers and low draw weight bows result in arrows that have insufficient kinetic energy to penetrate and/or stay embedded in the target. This is often the result of youths using targets that are designed for much stronger and faster bows. Such targets are typically too dense to allow a slow, youth arrow to penetrate and may even cause the arrow to bounce off (called a “bounce out” in competition).
Because of advancement in archery equipment, and the change to composite materials for arrow construction, there is an interest in a archery target that has a long service life, that has easy arrow removal, has a repairable core and can be used for both target points and broadheads.